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Mage Schools
'Summary' Mage Schools are the remaining connection to ancient orders of human magic-users. These Schools have varied in size, number and power over the centuries. There have been as few as three Schools, and as many as twelve. Once dominating much of humankind, the surviving independent Schools now are little larger than city-states. The exception is the Magiarch of Pintara, an empire of millions, employing the combined powers of three of the ancient Schools. 'Found Magic' The Schools of Men are thought to have come about by combining the proto-runes of dwarven magic and the rhythms of elven magic. "Man took the symbol from Dwarf, and the song from Elf and found the Words." The distinguishing element of the Schools is that the magic can be taught, written, and repeated. They do not require innate magical power or long tradition. Many gods consider its practice an insult, a heresy... as do some of their followers. 'The Disciplines' The 12 Schools fell under two broad categories, or "Disciplines." The Two Disciplines within Found Magic are distinguished mostly by what or who they can affect. The first discipline is Nameless, unable to directly influence a thinking creature's will. The second discipline is among the most dangerous and controversial, in that it can directly affect thinking beings, potentially enslaving them. 'Chord Discipline' The Chord Path is a nameless magic, in which the user attunes to the magical rhythms found in nonliving objects. Four Schools follow this Path. 1. Shule Al Nishati; the Ignicraefter: The path of energy-working is easy to learn, but difficult to master. Many an Ignicraefter bears the burn marks of his trade. Energy crafters can take and manipulate fire and electricity. They cannot work from nothing. Hence, the crafter is often found with matches or tinder. Half-orcs with magical aptitude tend to gravitate to the power and chaos of the Nishati discipline. 2. Shule Al Nguvu School of Force; This path and its followers are considered quite dangerous. According to legend they are one of the last mages of the Caelum Imperii. Old Nguvu could make objects of enormous size take flight. They can manipulate gravity, acceleration, friction, and magnetism. They often have lode-stones as focal symbols. One of the last Schools to cease fighting, the force mages have not bowed to the Great Truce. 3. Ysgol Cyfnod School of Change; Ffaesics: This is an uncommon path, most suited to ascetics and introverts. It takes years of calm and concentration to truly work the the texts and notes of phasing. Commonly known as "derwydd dŵr," water druids, these mages can change the state of simple forms such as water. They can transition pure water from ice, to liquid, to steam. Changing forms becomes more challenging with increased complexity of the object. Even mud or salt in water, makes the phase change ten times more difficult. Hence, the druids prefer to live next to pristine lakes and rivers. The "school" as is such, is located somewhere between the three great lakes of Aastadyrr. Ysgol Cyfnod did not pledge to the Truce (it largely did not fight in the first place). 4. Ysgol Don Plygu, School of Wavebending: This is a strange path in which the worker can manipulate naturally occurring waves, like those of the ocean--as well as sound waves. Many who follow this path are musically gifted, often skalds and bards. The school itself is now pledged to the Truce and under the protection of the Free Castyls, who use their members as navigators. Former Cete tribe members gravitate to this field, as well as half-elves. 'Pattern Discipline' (a nameless magic, having some indirect power over sentients) 5. Skola Al Mrvatanec School of Particle Play; Atomaeists: The school specializes in magical conversion of substances; known most for potion-making. Atomaeists, insultingly called Poison Mages, require years of training, constant focus, and patience. They train to manipulate magical patterns smaller than the eye can see. This discipline has many gnomish followers. 6. Schola Fractae Patrym: Those who follow the fractalist discipline are generally good-natured, but rarely law-abiding. They never take a straight line, and tend to enjoy wilderness over order. Fractal patternists are among the best healing mages. They are excellent bone-setters, and can discover patterns of sickness within living creatures. They are also capable way-finders, finding the most efficient routes through wild lands and oceans. Half-elves and haefling types tend to find this discipline appealing. 7. Schola Ars Artifex; the Builders: An artifex mage is devout, almost religiously dedicated to his discipline. They are conjurers of objects; and consider permanence as perfection, decay as failure. A good builder can construct almost any device they have seen before. The better the materials and the more powerful the builder, the more permanent the "build." These mages thrive in cities that approve of their gifts. They avoid wildlands, and dislike oceans especially, finding the chaos disconcerting. A surprising number of half-dwarves gravitate to this mage discipline. 'Meta-Nomenic Discipline' (Named magic, having a potential for direct power over thinking beings) Meta-nomenic magic users are considered the most threatening discipline to outsiders. Much of their power is unobservable, with the potential to enslave. 8. Schola al Leitheoir: Readers or scryers can decipher language, even thought, and can defy time and distance in their searching. They are respected and feared for their abilities. A large number of gnomes follow this discipline. The Scryer School has no known territory. Its members are widely dispersed 9. Schola Somnium: Illusionists, although not physically powerful, are considered some of the most dangerous beings on Cetemar. Their ability to distort reality is considered almost as dangerous as the destroyed schools. If caught practicing their powers outside of mage-friendly realms, illusionists are often hanged or burned. The school for illusionists is believed to have been absorbed into the Pintari Magiarchy. 10. Schola Invocare: Invokers and conjurers can call forth a living creature from nonliving elements. The more complex a creature is, the more unstable it will be. The school is believed to have been absorbed into the Pintari Magiarchy. 11. Summoner: A summoner can call upon living creatures (rarely dead, and most rarely divine) to do their bidding. Almost all members of the Summoners have been absorbed into the Pintari Magiarchy. 12. Ysgol Cam Entropia: This was a hugely powerful mage order. Once known as the Ysgol Cam Marwbyw, it ruled much of Cetemar. But necromancers have been driven from the civilized lands. Their ability to summon the dead, manipulate souls and flesh, even resurrect, has earned the enmity of both the living and the gods (especially the gods of Death). 'The Lost Disciplines' These mage schools have been hidden, lost, or extirpated. 13. Time Folding: Referred to as the "13th Way" or "Lost Path," Time Folding is an extremely dangerous form of magic involving manipulation of and/or travel through time. Time Folding allowed the user to accelerate and decelerate time, to move forwards and backwards in time, to stop time, and unfortunately, "break" time. Though an indirect power, time manipulation was ultimately so destructive to Cetemar itself, that, with the blessing of the gods, Time-Folders were annihilated; and any mention of them expunged from all history. Mage Schools after the Great Truce Mage Schools are separated now by affiliation. "Pledged" Schools have agreed to the Great Truce. They abide the truce by keeping their members in line. Their magic is a restricted trade, sometimes restricted exclusively to themselves (or a more powerful benefactor). The "Unpledged" continue exist on the margins of Cetemar civilizations, plying their magic without interference or protection. Pledged Schools #Schola Ars Artifex #Schola Fractae Patrym #Shule Al Nishati #Skola Al Mrvatanec #Ysgol Don Plygu #Schola al Leitheoir Unpledged Schools #Shule Al Nguvu #Ysgol Cyfnod #Ysgol Cam Entropia Destroyed Schools #Schola Al Tempus, the School of Time, is now the location of a prison for users of magic, Ait Bas Draoi, or "Place of Wizard Death." #Ysgol Cam Marwbyw , the school of the Living and the Dead, is thought to be destroyed as well; its ruins somewhere in the borders of the Blood Vale. A fragment of the school lives on as the Ysgol Cam Entropia. Disbanded or Absorbed Schools The Pintari Empire was founded on three schools. Practitioners outside of Pintari lands are often hunted down, and vigorously recruited--or "suppressed." #Illusion #Conjuration #Summoning Category:Magic Schools